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Orks
“An Ork has no fear of pain, is not cowed by doubt or failure, and is single minded in the pursuit of what he wants. That makes him the most dangerous thing I can imagine, and the crudity of their weapons does nothing to dim my own fear of them.” –Marius Lorrt, captain of the warship Victus Gloriana The Orks are a barbaric and warlike race that infest large portions of the galaxy. In unknown corners of space Ork empires rise and fall, waging war against races unheard of by the Imperium. The Orks are so violent and numerous that, were they ever to combine, they could sweep away the defenses of all the other races, painting the galaxy green. Fortunately, their propensity for violence is their undoing, for Orks like to fight amongst themselves as much as against other races, their would–be empires normally devolving into petty squabbling and infighting before they can threaten the denizens of the galaxy. On some occasions, however, a powerful individual rises from amongst the Orks, possessing the strength and intelligence to bully the recalcitrant greenskins into line, concentrating their efforts into attacking other races. On such occasions, a Waaagh! is raised. A Waaagh! is a great invasion of Orks that can decimate entire sectors if given the time to grow in momentum. 'In the Calixis Sector' Whilst relatively untroubled by the predations of the Orks, the Calixis Sector is not untouched by their presence, for no sector of the galaxy is entirely safe from the green menace. Many worlds, even those thought safe by Imperial authorities, harbor an Ork presence. Typically, these Orks are so barbaric, not to mention few in number, that they rarely come into conflict with the local populace. When detected, the authorities respond with overwhelming force, deploying the PDF in great numbers to stamp them out. The Imperium has learnt to its cost the price of leaving a seemingly harmless xenos infestation unchecked, for the Orks multiply quickly. There are other worlds where the Orks thrive in greater numbers, feral Orks who wage war amongst one another, riding to battle atop great wild pigs or gigantic, reptilian beasts known as Squiggoths. Such threats are not taken lightly, for Orks evolve quickly, developing from possessing rudimentary technology to a level of crude mastery capable of launching ramshackle spaceships to invade other worlds, all within the space of one or two short generations. Where possible, local Imperial Guard regiments are deployed to cleanse such worlds. This task is not altogether straightforward, for Ork spores can lie dormant in the soil for years until they sprout into new Orks. Ganf Magna is one such world, a densely jungled planet where, despite the best efforts of the Imperial Guard, an Ork infestation seems to erupt every few years. For eight decades, the people of Kulth within the Periphery have fought against ork hordes. Vaxanide has been the site of two sieges by the greenskin menace; the second of which saw the planet temporarily harassed by a Kult of Speed before it was cut down by a Sisters of Battle Seraphim squad. Larger quantities of Ork invaders sometimes cross over from the neighboring Scarus Sector, an area of space far more troubled by Orks and a lesson on the folly of letting an infestation go unchecked. Orks cross into Calixian space via space hulks or roks. A space hulk is a huge, floating mass of space debris, typically comprising untold numbers of wrecked spaceships and other cosmic detritus drifting in and out of warp space. As a space hulk drifts near an Ork infested world, crude tractor beams and teleporters are used to seize it long enough for as many Orks as possible to embark. Once aboard, Ork Meks (Orks that have an inborn natural knack for technology) and Weirdboyz---Ork psykers---guide it back into the warp, navigating it into neighboring systems ripe for plunder and war. Space hulks are often accompanied by great swarms of orbiting roks---hollowed out asteroids hurled across space, acting as makeshift drop pods and assault shuttles. Also, sometimes such creations enter the sector on their own, propelled by some great mass catapult deep in a neighboring area of space. Orks have little control over where the roks go, but so long as they smash into an inhabited world (and some Orks survive the impact long enough to fight), they are happy enough. The appearance of a rok or space hulk is a cause for great alarm to Imperial authorities in the Calixis Sector, warranting the attention of Battlefleet Calixis and the deployment of countless Imperial Guard regiments. 'In the Koronus Expanse' “...Ork ships everywhere. Throne, there’s so many. Hundreds, maybe thousands of vessels of all shapes and sizes, just floating around. Emperor’s Teeth, look at the size of that one! It must mass more than a hundred million tonnes... oh no. It’s headed towards us! Evasive Manoeuvres! Full power to the Voids! We’ve got to get out of...” –Last log entry of the Rhadamanthine, after approaching the Ork-dominated world of Tusk Mankind has, for an age longer than the endurance of any one empire, warred against the Orks. It has been said that the greenskin menace was the first alien species humans ever encountered amongst the stars, and that when Man and Ork first met, war was inevitable. Nobody, except perhaps the Emperor, knows if this is true, but few question its veracity, so widespread and prevalent is conflict between these two species. So it is within the Koronus Expanse. Ever since humans first ventured into the Expanse to find and exploit what lay within it, the Orks have been there to assail the efforts of man. In 108.M41, after the number of reported encounters had became intolerable, the Administratum within the neighboring Calixis Sector commissioned a search of the Koronus Expanse to seek out and eliminate this Ork threat. The Imperial Navy light cruiser Rhadamanthine found them, more than a century later. Its final log entries, sent by the ship’s Astropath with his last breath, told of a cluster of worlds dominated by the Greenskins, uncovered at the cost of a vessel that had served proudly for millennia and had been part of the fleet of the Angevin Crusade. These Orks were no simple pirate raiders, but a growing menace that could escalate into a dire threat. In spite of the successes of a small but growing number of Rogue Traders traversing the Koronus Passage, the Imperial Navy could not easily or swiftly muster a force through the Maw sufficient to destroy so large an Ork domain. The Maw was simply too unstable for so large a fleet to pass through. Worse, the Imperial Navy could not spare the ships to even attempt such a thing, as much of Battlefleet Calixis was embroiled within the Meritech Wars elsewhere in the Sector. In the early decades of the fifth century M41, a fleet consisting of hundreds of vessels burst from the Maw, laying siege to Port Wander for two years until Battlefleet Calixis and the Adeptus Mechanicus shattered the Ork forces—later identified as a part of Waaagh! Gulgrog—and reclaimed the starfortress. Their forces broken and slaughtered, the Ork survivors slunk back to their worlds. Most believed that the threat had now passed, that the remaining greenskins were too few and too demoralized to pose more than a trivial threat. For a time, they were correct—Ork raids upon ships in the Expanse dropped dramatically in the following centuries. The relative peace, however, could not last, for Orks are not easily discouraged from acts of brutality and senseless violence. By the early eighth century M41, the Ork menace had regained much of its strength and was as great a peril within the Expanse as they had been more than four centuries before, drawing in Rogue Traders in greater numbers to combat the escalating threat with the promise of handsome reward. Yet still the threat grows, and now the Koronus Expanse stands on the brink of something terrible—a second invasion preparing to burst from its depths, just over half a millennium after the last. The operations of various Ork clans are becoming a larger problem in the Koronus Expanse. In the past the Orks typically operated in bands that could fit onto one ship. Filling every available space on board, Orks would raid unprotected worlds and outposts. Particularly daring Ork Vessels would go so far as to attack other star craft in the hopes of taking the entire vessel. These disparate groups are by no means unified; Orks often battle each other as much as anyone else. Increasingly, however, the Kaptin’s operating near Undred-Undred Teef have begun cramming guns and other starship components onto asteroids and aiming them towards larger prey. A “Rok” as the Orks call it, is simply used as a mobile base as well as a planetary assault vehicle by crashing the Rok into whatever planet they wish to wage war upon. Notably Morgaash Kulgraz has called dozens of warships to his banner, raiding Imperial worlds for the slaves he needs to salvage the wreckage of other Imperial Navy Vessels. These vessels are then used to cobble together more Kruzers or Roks and in turn raid larger Imperial targets. The threat of his Waaagh is gaining quicker Imperial response in the hopes of quashing this expansion. Ork Physiology “Ork Physiology is fascinating and terrifying in equal measure, demonstrating inhuman degrees of resilience to the point where they can withstand seemingly fatal wounds with little apparent long-term consequence. Indeed, Orks witnessed suffering fatal wounds in the midst of heavy fighting have often been observed again several days later, larger and stronger than they were before their injuries and with no sign of those wounds save for some largely superficial scarring.” –Genetor Aurelius Thoze, Adeptus Mechanicus Xenobiologist. “DOK! Me arm got shot off! Gimme a new’un!” –Wortgrod Mugskab, Ork Boy Orks are large, broad humanoid creatures, with rough, thick green flesh and heavy musculature. The average Ork stands approximately as tall as a human, to the top of the back—an Ork’s hunched frame means that the head generally sits level with the shoulders—and weighs roughly 60% more due to thicker bone and muscle. However, the nature of Ork physiology means that a more aggressive, more successful Ork will grow in size, and some of the largest known examples stand as much as three metres tall and weigh approximately half a tonne if some reports can be believed. The Ork body is thick-set and ape-like, with long, thick arms, ended in broad, muscular hands with thick fingers ending in large, tough, sharp fingernails. The head, set in front of and between the bulky shoulders, is solid and bony, with a large protruding jaw, great yellowish tusks, a pair of beady, almost luminescent red eyes and a short, hard forehead. The mouth of an average Ork is almost big enough to fit an adult human head entirely inside, and the overall appearance of an Ork’s face is one of a savage, largely unintelligent animal. Orks are, physiologically, not entirely animal. In fact, they’re actually two creatures—the animal body, and the algal/fungal strain that saturates their blood and flesh. This algal symbiote provides the Orks with many of their most unusual traits. The Ork body, for example, is insanely resilient—wounds that would be instantly and irreversibly fatal to a human being may only incapacitate an Ork for a matter of hours, and even the traumatic experience of having a limb stitched back on (it doesn’t even have to be the Ork’s original limb) will only hinder an Ork for a day or so. Decapitation isn’t immediately fatal, and heads can be re-attached up to half an hour after removal with no lingering side-effects. The rate at which Ork bodies can heal themselves is quite astounding, and even Orks that seem dead may simply be rendered unconscious by their wounds, recuperating until they can awaken and slay the enemy. More significant still is that this algal component of their physiology serves as their reproductive system as well. Orks shed spores as they move, and unleash a great number of these spores upon death. Given the right conditions, these spores mature into other Greenskins—Squigs, Snotlings, Gretchin, and eventually other Orks. Consequently, battlegrounds where Orks have been encountered must be thoroughly cleansed in order to minimise the risk of re-infestation at a later date. This is seldom entirely successful, and many worlds which have never had any recorded Ork invasion are known to have periodic Ork infestations, perhaps resulting from conflicts predating the Imperium. This reproductive system gives rise to another notable Ork trait: genetic knowledge. The ability to fight, to speak, and in the cases of the specialist or “Oddboy” castes, an understanding of science, technology, medicine or any of a number of other complex skills, are all hard-wired into an Ork’s genetics, as natural and instinctive as breathing. Orks emerge from the ground almost entirely mature, with most of the skills they will ever require already present. Another disquieting side-effect of their reproductive system is the effect that the prolonged presence of Orks on a planet can have. In sufficient quantities, and if left to their own devices for long enough, Orkoid creatures (the collective term for Orks, Gretchin, Snotlings and all manner of Squigs) and assorted species of fungus tend to spread across a planet’s surface, usurping and overwhelming native flora and fauna in many cases, and gradually “Orkiforming” a world. Thankfully, the process has only been observed on worlds dominated by Orks for long periods of time, but the threat of such contamination is not to be taken lightly. Their physical response to violence is also of note. As touched upon above, an Ork at war will grow larger and stronger as a matter of course. This is not merely an increase in physical fitness, but a physiological change—muscle mass increases, and the skeletal structure grows to accommodate the enhanced musculature. Even more significantly, Orks preparing to challenge the leadership of another will undergo a sudden increase in strength and mass, allowing them to more effectively challenge their erstwhile leader. As Orks equate size with authority, this makes a degree of sense, but it remains unknown exactly how this process happens, though there is considerable speculation that it may be somehow psychic in nature. Certainly, Orks possess a strong (if diffuse and unusual) psychic presence that seems to grow stronger in the presence of other Orks. 'Ork Psychology' “Orkses is neva defeated in battle. If we win we win, if we die we die fightin’ so it don’t count. If we runz for it we don’t lose eva, cos we can come back for annuver go, see!” - Common Ork saying If Ork physiology makes them brutally efficient survivors, their psychology makes them extremely dangerous warriors. As noted previously, much of Ork knowledge is genetic in nature, the Orks themselves born with an understanding of how to fight, speak and perform a variety of other tasks useful to their society. This consequently results in a culture that needs to spend very little time dealing with the practicalities of being a culture—everything they need is there for them naturally—and thus they can focus on what matters most to them. And an Ork craves three things above all else: speed, noise, and a good fight. In particular, their desire for violence is perhaps their most defining psychological trait—Orks will fight anything, anywhere, and for the flimsiest of reasons, savouring the mayhem and thrill of battle and lamenting its end. This is, actually, one of the more curious things about the Orks. Many warrior and predator cultures known in the galaxy take pleasure in the hunt or the kill, and prize the ability to do those things. Orks are alone in their lust for the fight, not the kill. They don’t possess a true notion of victory or loss, because such things are meaningless to a creature whose idea of paradise is an eternity of battle. Yet, all this focus on warfare does not mean that Orks are fearless. Indeed, while the Ork mind views defeat differently than that of a human, it still recognises the need to flee from battle. The Orks themselves rationalise this by claiming that running away doesn’t signify defeat, but instead just means that the Orks can come back later and try again. Removing the need to consider anything other than the desire to fight has an interesting effect on Ork culture as well. With violence so desirable and so easily found—a simple barroom brawl is a common pastime for Orks, as are a number of other brutal activities—few Orks ever really want for anything, save perhaps for an endless supply of foes and an eternity of battle. This simple sense of fulfilment pervades most of Ork society, with only those of particular ambition (who tend to end up as leaders of their species anyway) craving something more, and as a result, there is little discontent or strife amongst the Orks. Disputes are settled swiftly and effectively through bursts of spontaneous violence (the Orks themselves are sufficiently resilient that injuries are few and short-lived from such encounters), but broadly speaking Ork society is lacking in any societal ills. Certainly, Orks appear almost entirely immune to the corrupting influence of Chaos, and lack any of the difficulties with sedition or heresy that must be so brutally crushed in the Imperium. A strange facet of Ork psychology is their psychic potential. Largely unconscious, Orks produce a high level of psychic background noise which increases during periods of excitement. In the presence of other Orks, this collective noise can have strange effects. Most obvious is the way an Ork’s confidence and resolve are bolstered further by the presence of other Orks, making large groups difficult or even impossible to rout. A number of other effects have been speculated upon, some of which seem outlandish and entirely unlikely, but others are demonstrably true, such as the ability of Ork psykers (known as “Weirdboyz”) to draw on this powerful mass of psychic energy and direct it as a weapon in its own right, manifesting the collective aggression of the Orks as blasts of lurid green energy or other strange effects. In sufficiently large numbers, and with a leader of appropriately grand ambition (called a Warboss or Warlord, an Ork whose size and confidence in turn generate a stronger field), Orks can generate a psychic field so strong that it compels the Orks to greater and greater heights, as Oddboyz (particularly Mekboyz) who possess scientific and technical knowledge) are inspired to work on stranger and greater projects and the mass of common Orks puts aside their usual squabbles in anticipation of battles to come. The resultant horde of Orks, and the interstellar rampage that the horde undertakes, are both known as a “Waaagh!” and will typically only end when defeated (normally by the death of the Warlord leading it) or when they simply run out of enemies to fight, breaking up and returning to their normal state of raiding and internecine warfare between tribes and “Klans.” 'An Alien Mind' Just as an Ork body is different in many ways to a human one, so an Ork mind is different to that of humans. Quite aside from their innate lust for battle, the minds of Orks possess a number of quirks and oddities that make their psychology quite different to that of humans. The three most significant differences are described below. All other possible issues that come up should be discussed with the GM. DA BOYZ Orks are fundamentally genderless. Their reproductive system is based on the spores they shed from their skins throughout their lives and at the moment of their deaths, and the notion of gender common to many other species is of absolutely no concern to Orks, nor is it something they bother to understand. Throughout this section, Orks are occasionally referred to as “he,” but this is a simple convenience—Orks are not male, nor are they female, because such things are physiologically and psychologically irrelevant to Orks. This, combined with their warlike outlook and the fact that they’re not at all human, means that it’s fundamentally impossible to seduce an Ork, even if someone wanted to. They’re simply not built that way, physically or mentally. KAOS AN’ KURRUPSHUN Orks in service to the Chaos Gods, or even succumbing to the corrupting influence of the Warp, are so rare as to be essentially unheard of. Simply put, Orks aren’t easily tempted to Chaos and they’re far more resistant to the warping influence of Chaos than humans, for reasons that nobody has been able to accurately define. Consequently, Orks don’t gain Corruption Points. MADBOYZ Orks do, however, accrue Insanity Points. Like any other creature, an Ork’s mind can be damaged or broken by sufficiently traumatic experiences. Initially, the quirks an Ork will pick up as he faces all manner of horrors are of little concern to other Orks; they might mutter about him behind his back, but so long as an Ork is big and strong enough to threaten and pummel those who disagree with him, it isn’t a big deal if he’s a little “Eksentrik.” Of course, sufficiently mad Orks are another matter, which the Orks themselves collectively refer to as Madboyz. These insane Orks tend towards extremely unpredictable behaviour, particularly when gathered into groups with other Madboyz. Madboyz often take productive, “Orky” things to their furthest extreme, such as gathering scrap metal to “make sumfing important”— when they’re not rummaging around dung-heaps pretending to be a Snotling, or engaged in a six-hour shouting match with their own echo. Therefore, an Ork gains Insanity Points as normal. They do not have any effect on him, however, until he accrues 100 Insanity. At this point, he becomes a Madboy, and is removed from play. Ork Society and Clans For Orks, size equals respect and might makes right. These two elements are rooted in the Ork’s physiology: natural leaders among their breed grow larger and stronger, enforcing their authority with physical abuse and the volume of his shouting in preference to cunning plans or charisma. These creatures thrive on conflict, and often gather into groups intent on finding the biggest and most violent battle to join in and escalate. These groups centre around a leader, known as a Nob, who forms a mob of his closest and most reliable Ork allies (including many Gretchin hangerson and sycophants). The biggest and most powerful Nob becomes a Warboss and leads all the mobs in what is known as a Warband. Warbands are sometimes absorbed into larger tribes, and many tribes together often form the massive invasion hosts known as Waaaghs! In addition to this, Orks also have Clans, which embody a philosophy (for want of a better term) among Orks, each Clan emphasising particular elements of Ork culture above others. Orks tend to belong to one or another Clan no matter what Tribe they are in. Orks are not all the same and even when considering only the common mass of “Boyz” that make up the overwhelming majority of Orks, significant variations exist. These broad groupings, commonly seen wherever Orks gather, are collectively known as Klans, each of which has its own tendencies and predilections. On some level, all Orks possess an affinity for one or other of these Klans, demonstrating the common tendencies that define them. Select a single one of the Klan entries below, and gain the accompanying benefits. Bad Moons These are the richest of the Orks, and tend to be the most inclined to flaunt their wealth and status. Their great fang-like teeth and tusks—collectively known as “Teef ” and used as currency by the Orks—grow faster than those of the Orks of any other Klan, which means Bad Moons have greater wealth and a greater inclination to trade and barter than most. Bad Moons gain a +20 bonus on all Barter tests when dealing with other Orks, and grant a +10 bonus to any Acquisition Test made to deal with Ork traders or obtain items of Ork equipment. Blood Axes Largely distrusted by other Orks, Blood Axes have adopted many human ideas and tactics in their way of war, such as camouflage, and are notable for having traded with humans at various points in history. Blood Axes gain Common Lore (Imperium) (Int) or Concealment (Ag) as a Trained Skill, and +3 Perception or Agility. Death Skulls Justifiably considered to be thieves and looters by most other Orks, Death Skulls are superstitious plunderers, who gleefully strip the fallen (and anyone else not paying attention) of their possessions. They’re notable for wearing copious amounts of blue warpaint, as blue is considered a lucky colour amongst Orks in general and Death Skulls in particular. Death Skulls gain Tech-Use (Int) or Sleight of Hand (Ag) as Trained Skills, and the Runtz Talent. Their blue warpaint and various talismans and lucky charms collectively count as a Charm. Evil Suns Addicted to speed almost as much as they are violence, Evil Suns love loud, fast-moving vehicles, often saving their Teef for a bike or another ramshackle vehicle so as to get to grips with the enemy even faster. Evil Suns gain Drive (Ground Vehicle) (Ag) or Tech-Use (Int) as Trained Skills. Goffs Typically the largest, most aggressive and most violent of a species renowned for its size, aggression and propensity for violence, Goffs are intolerant of the other Klans, whose methods they consider to be entirely Un-Orky. Goffs increase their Strength by +3. Snakebites Tending to be primitive in outlook, Snakebites disdain the use of technology in favour of what they see as traditional methods. Their name comes from their initiation rites, in which a venomous snake is goaded into biting a young Ork (known as a “Yoof ”). Given the Orks’ natural resilience, this rarely has a significant effect other than making the Ork more tolerant of poisons. Snakebites gain the Resistance (Poison) Talent, and gain either Survival (Int), Tracking (Int) or Wrangling (Int) as a Trained Skill. Teef The basis of Ork economics is teeth (known in the parlance of the alien as “teef ”). Not any teeth will do—they must be the sharp tusks grown by Orks and periodically shed by the creatures as they grow. Teeth can be exchanged for almost anything in a crude form of market economics, from a choppa or a shoota to a buggy or bike. And, of course, because Ork money is grown by Orks, a good spot of fighting is great for shaking loose a few teeth and earning a bit more wealth for the victor. 'Orky Know-Wotz' To some degree, all Orks possess useful genetic knowledge. In some, this knowledge becomes a driving force in their lives, resulting in Orks known as “Oddboyz” whose obsessive focus makes them valuable specialists within Ork society (though they may be regarded as somewhat crazy by other Orks). In others, this is simply a specific knack they might have for certain tasks. Select a single one of the options below, and gain the accompanying benefits. The options that will classify an Ork as an Oddboy are indicated as such, although this does nothing except indicate the Ork may be a bit manic and obsessive. Driva - Some Orks possess a natural affinity for vehicles, learning quickly how to get them to go as fast as possible. Drivas gain Drive (Ground Vehicle) (Ag), or Pilot (Flyer or Space Craft) (Ag) as a Trained Basic Skill. Hunta - Essential for survival in the early years of an Ork settlement, Huntas are skilled at tracking down prey for his tribe, a skill that remains useful when they start hunting enemies instead of food. Huntas gain Tracking (Int) as a Trained Skill. Mekboy (Oddboy) - A common innate skill, some Orks possess a natural knack for making machines work. Mekboyz gain Tech-Use (Int) as a Trained Skill. Painboy (Oddboy) - Invaluable to other Orks, Painboys are Orks with an understanding of medicine. Painboys gain Medicae (Int) as a Trained Basic Skill. Runtherd (Oddboy) - Possessed of a natural inclination to goad slaves and wild animals into the service of the Orks, Runtherds, also known as Slavers, gain Wrangling (Int) as a Trained Basic Skill. Trappa - Aiding the Huntas during an Ork tribe’s formative years, Trappas are skilled at setting traps and guiding their kin through the most dangerous environments. Trappas gain Survival (Int) as a Trained Basic Skill. Freebooters Not every Ork belongs to a warband or tribe. Some are misfits from Ork society, Orks who take more of an interest in looting and pillaging than in fighting. Outcasts amongst their own kind, these Flash Gitz and Freebooters are pirates, bandits, and mercenaries of ill–repute, selling their services to the highest bidder whether Ork or human (‘umie, to use the Ork’s parlance). Violence is always a major part of an Ork’s life, no matter how much he may yearn after booty and adventure, and a Freebooter’s agreement is fickle, lasting until the money runs out or he gets a fancy for bashing. Some of the outermost worlds in the Calixis Sector, especially those bordering the Scarus Sector, are plagued by Ork pirates who raid and pillage from time to time, burning colonies to the ground in search of loot. It is rumoured that some colonies have come to secret clandestine agreements with the Freebooters, offering them tribute in return for being left alone. Some Freebooters have become very wealthy from such deals. 'Ork Equipment' “Well, ‘course dis one’s betta! It’s lotz ‘eavier, and gots dem spikey bitz on de ends.” –Anonymous Ork †Ork equipment is technically difficult to get hold of---after all, no right–minded Imperial arms trader would sell xenos technology, no matter how crude. Unofficially, there are parts of the Calixis Sector where it is much more plentiful, especially areas recently attacked by Orks. For this reason, via legitimate routes it counts as scarce, but via black market channels it is common. For some unknown reason, which even the Orks are not aware of, these weapons are not Unreliable in the hands of an Ork. Slugga The most basic of Ork firearms, the slugga is a short, stubby solid–shot pistol that would be devastating up–close were it not for the inaccuracy of the Ork wielding it. Most sluggas inflict more wounds as crude clubs than they do as ranged weapons. Pistol, 20m, S/3/–, 1d10+4, I, PEN 0, Clip 18, RLD Full, Inaccurate, Unreliable, WT 2kg, Cost 100, †Scarce/Common Shoota Whilst nothing could take the place in an Ork’s heart of chopping up an enemy in combat, they do have a great love for loud, noisy weaponry, and nothing so embodies this type of weapon than the shoota. “Shoota” is a catch–all term for a variety of short to mid–range Ork firearms, inevitably capable of at least burst fire, that are cobbled together to launch of a hail of bullets when the trigger is pulled with little regard for accuracy or recoil. Basic, 60m, S/3/10, 1d10+4, I, PEN 0, Clip 30, RLD Full, Inaccurate, Unreliable, WT 4kg, Cost 200, †Scarce/Common Snazzgun The shootiest of shootas are known as snazzguns, weapons favoured by the most ostentatious and obnoxious of Orks, known as Flash Gitz. Snazzguns vary as much in design as shootas, but all are lethal to the extreme. Many Flash Gitz hard–wire their snazzguns to their primitive bionics, incorporating a variety of barrels, scopes and targeting arrays into their gear---not that this necessarily makes them any better shots, but it does make them feel bigger and cleverer as they’re shooting. An individual snazzgun shoots either bolts of energy or shells, but not both. Snazzguns have a random penetration value, for the velocity of their shots varies with every shot. A Snazzgun, just like a Shoota, is inherently Inaccurate. However, when targeting equipment or bionics are used with the snazzgun, it loses the Inaccurate weapon quality instead of gaining any bonuses to hit. Basic, 100m, S/2/–, 2d10, I or E, PEN 1d10, Clip 20, RLD 2Full, Inaccurate, Overheats, Unreliable, WT 7kg, Cost 1,500, †Rare/Scarce Choppa An unarmed Ork is still a dangerous foe, but it is a rare occasion that an Ork finds himself unarmed. Orks carry a variety of crude weaponry about with them, all referred to as choppas, regardless of whether they actually chop or whether they whir, whiz, crack, slice, smash or crump. Choppas include short, wicked meat cleavers, large machete–like swords, whirring chainblades that belch great clouds of smoke, and rudimentary power weapons comprising little more than short metal blades wired to battery packs. Melee, 1d10+1, R, PEN 2, Tearing, Unbalanced, WT 5kg, Cost 600, †Scarce/Common Mega Armor Mega armor is the thickest and sturdiest of Ork personal protection, and is worn only by the richest (and therefore toughest) Ork Nobz. Its sheer bulk offers a level of protection in excess of power armor, although its great weight leaves the wearer with little in the way of mobility. Mega armor consists of bulky armored plates welded and riveted onto a hydraulic exoskeleton. The amour is so heavy that great smoke–belching engines are required to power it. Should they fail, the wearer would be stuck in one place with no way of moving! Mork help a Meganob who should topple over in the heat of battle. Mega armor adds +30 to the wearer’s Strength characteristic and increases his size by one step (so, for example, an average–sized Ork would become hulking). Mega armour requires a constant power supply, provided by onboard generators and engines typically powered by solid fuel of some kind. The armor must be refueled every 1d5 hours. Without power, the armor ceases to be mobile. Mega Armor is far too bulky to be worn by a human. Mega-Armor has an AP of 6 for the Head, 10 for the Arms and Legs, and 14 for the Body. It weighs 60kg, and is currently completely unavailable for purchase in the Calixis Sector. Ork Pulsa-Mine A pulsa-mine is a large, bulky device that the Orks consider ‘kunning’, using it to disrupt enemy movements long enough for them to spring their ambush. The spherical device looks something like a primitive naval mine, complete with spiky protrusions. Rather than acting as triggers for the device, these protrusions are transmitter arrays for the powerful force field emitter of unfathomable design nestled within. When triggered, the field activates, sending pulses of force radiating erratically out from the mine, knocking down personnel and unsecured objects and overturning vehicles. When triggered, a pulsa-mine initially detonates much like a grenade, affecting anyone within the blast radius as its force bubble expands outwards. However, unlike a grenade the pulsa-mine does not stop there, continuing to pulse every d10 Rounds as though triggered afresh each time. The detonation of a Pulsa-Mine inflicts 1d10 Energy Damage with the Blast (10) and Unstable Qualities. Each time it pulses, roll d100---on a 91 or more, the pulsa-mine stops abruptly. Each time Damage is rolled, roll for the unstable property as normal---should a 1 be rolled, the Damage of the pulsa-mine is permanently reduced by half, as it gradually loses power. A second roll of a 1 indicates that the mine has lost power and ceases to function. Anybody caught within the blast radius must make an Agility Test or be knocked to the ground. Drivers or pilots of vehicles within the radius must make a Drive or Pilot Test or lose control of their vehicle. Cost 2,000, WT 20kg, Very Rare